Tube-igniter for explosive-engines.



No. 653,34l. N Patented 'July lo, |900. ANTON conELLi vuN FAHNENFELD &ERNST sTA'nLl-:R voN woLFEnsGRN.

TUBE IGNITEH FDR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. (Application med mar. si, 1900.) (NoModel.)

NITED* STATES PATENTV OFFQE.

ANTON OODELLI VON FAHNENFELD, `OE SCHLOSS THURN, NEAR LAYBAOH, AND ERNSTsTADLER 'VONWOLEERSGRN OE LAYBAOH, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY.

TUKBE-IGNITER FOR EXPLOSlVE-EINGINES. .1

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Iatent No. 653,341, dated July10, 1900.

' Application fneaMmh 31.1900. serial No, 11,006. (N9 moan.)

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we,ANTON( FREIHERR) CO- DELLI VON FAHNENEELD, aresident of Schloss Thurn, near Laybach, and ERNST STADLER VONWOLEERSGRN, a resident of Laybach, Austria-Hungary, subjects of theEmperor of Austria-Hungary, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Iguiting Devices for Explosion-Engines, of which the following is roa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an ignitin g device for explosion-.enginesemploying ignitin g tubes or pins. In an igniting device according tothis invention the igniting tube or pin is not, as has hitherto beenusual, kept glowing by the aid of a separate flame, but' is kept in aglowing condition by means Of an explosive mixture which in circulatingaround 2o it is ignited and keeps the iguiting tube or pin in therequisite state of incandescence.

In the drawings illustrating a constructional form of the invention,Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved igniting device, thelatter being shown in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan, partlyin horizontal section, showing the parts in the position for preparatoryheating of the igniting tube or pin. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views3o on the lines d b and c d, respectively, of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is asection on the line ef, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a Section on the line g h,Fig. l.

In an igniting device according to this invention there is utilized theknown property 3 5 of certain substances to condense gases inthemselves, so that they thereby become heated to their ignitiontemperature and then burn. The heat produ-ced by the combustion is thenused for heating the igniting 4o tube or pin to the temperaturenecessary for producing ignition. By altering the pressure under whichthe oombustiblemixture is admitted to the igniting tube or pin thedistance from the explosion-chamber of the point of maximumincandescence of the ring tube or pin may be varied and the ignitionthus started at a different point in the pistons stroke.

In an example of a device according to this invention the igniting tubeor pin l is con- 5o neeted inthe ordinary way with the explosion-chamber2 of the engine, and surrounding the igniting tube or pin is anothertube 3, (hereinafter called the outer tube,) preferably of the samematerial as the ignitingtube, (platinum,) while the space between thetwo tubes is filled with platinum shavings 4. The igniting rtube or pinis closed at the end remote from the explosion-chamber; but the outertube is open at both ends. Around this 6o Outer tube 3 is a sleeve 5,(hereiuafterealled the inner sleeve,) which is screwed into the wall ofthe engine and is provided with a projecting nut portion adjacent to thesaid wall. This sleeve has in it two openings G, one hundred and eightydegrees apart, through which access may be had to the outer tube, and inthe nut portion there is provided a number of radial passages 7, throughwhich the space between the ignit- 7o ing tube or pin l and the outertube 3 corn-V municates with the atmosphere. The feedpipe 8 for theexplosive mixture is tightly screwed into the front end of the innersleeve 5 and opens into the annular space filled with 75 platinumshavings between the igniting tube or pin l and the outer tube 3. Overthe in- `ner sleeve 5 is arranged another sleeve 9,

(hereinafter called the outer sleeve,) which is guided upon thefeed-pipe 8 and held in 8o place by a screw-threadbon the inner sleeve5. The Outer sleeve 9 may advantageously be provided with a handle, andthe screw-thread may advantageously be half removed, so that the outersleeve 9 may be firmly secured in 85 place by a revolution through onehundred and eighty degrees.

The method of working of this igniting device is as follows: To set theapparatus into operation, the outer sleeve 9 is pushed back, 9o Fig. 2,and the outer tube, withthe platinum` shavings in it, is then heated upthrough the openings 6 in the inner sleeve 5. This may be done either bya suitable hand-lamp or by a special llame supplied by a branch from thei pipe supplying the explosive mixture. The combustible mixture intendedfor the heating of the ignit-ing tube or pin lis then admitted f theretothrough the vfeed-pipe 8. The mix ture on reaching the platinum shavings4is condensed in them and is thereby so heated that it ignites andburns, and consequently brings the igniting tube or pin l itself to thevrequisite temperature for igniting the explosive mixture and maintainsit thereat. VThe products of combustion of the combustible? mixture passbetween the igniting tube or pin l and the outer tube 3 to the passages7 in the nut portion of the inner sleeve 5 and escapeI through them intothe open air. When the outer tube 3 has been sufciently warmed byv theexternal iiame for the' platinum shavings to heat theenteringcombustible mixture to.' the ignition temperature, the externalflame is removed or turned off,andthe outer sleeve. 9 is pushed over theinner sleeve 5 to protect. the outer tube 3 and screwed up thereonagainst the projecting nut portion. The whole ignition device is thencompletely closed in and protected,so that it can neither1 miss iire`nor be injured by external Vinfluences.

Insteadlof makingtheouter sleeve 9 to slide 2 it may be `mades'implytorotate .upon the in- Yner sleeve 5 and be also 4providedwith two;

openings, so that the `outer tube 3 can be` warmed up, as aforesaid,through them andl theopenings 6 in ,the'inner sleeve 5, while theopenings in the inner sleeve can fbevcovered@ 4during `working byrotating the outer sleevey 9. In `this case the outer sleeve 9 whenscrewed upzmust lie closeagainst the nut porl tion of the inner sleeve5.

We claiml. .An igniting device for explosion-engines, i embodying incombination: the tube.3 sur-L rounding the igniting tube or .pin 1rigidly sel cured to the .explosion-chamber 2, a body of; .platinumshavings 4t in the space between the said itube 3 'and the igniting tubeor .pin 1, a2 passage connecting the said space with thej feed-conduit Sfor the combustible mixture, and discharge-openings y'7 connectingthe-,said space with 'the atmosphere, vto allow .of rthe combustible.mixture admitted to the previt ously-heated body of platinum shavingsbeing condensed and ignited by the latter, -to 'thereby heat the saidigniting-,pimand to al#l low of the products of combustion `generatedbeing discharged, Vthe part '5 surrounding the igniting-pin and'havingthe openings 6, and the removable sleeve 9 adapted to close the saidopenings during the operation of the device and for the protection ofthe i gnitin g tube or pin.,

2. -In an igniting device an outer-tube provided with lateral openingsand 4having an end portion adapted to be applied to theexplosion-chamber of an explosion-engine and another end portion adaptedto have a conduit for the combustible mixture applied thereto, anigniting tube or pin secured in the one-end portion sofas to projectinto'the said outer tube, an inner tube lsurrounding the said ignitingtube or pin within the said outer tube, a body of .platinum shavingswithin the spacebetween the said outer and inner tubes,discharge-openings in the outer tube,connect ing the said space with theatmosphere,a feedconduit for thecombustible mixture, communicating withthe said space and secured to the other end portion of the said outertube,

andan Vadjustable sleevemounted on the latter to part-ly openand-closethe said lateral openings in thesame, allcombined substantially asdescribed.

3. In an igniting device for explosion-'engines a-clhamber communicatingat opposite ends with fthe feed-conduit for the combustible .mixture,and with the atmosphere, respectively, and containing `an ignitingtubeor pin and a tube surrounding the said ignit- 1 ing tube .or pinatsuchfdistancetherefromas l to leave an intermediate spacecapablevofbeing ifilled with platinum shavings, lateral openings in saidchamber, means as described for closing said. openings andfor varyingtheir width whenopened, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to Athis specification inthe presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON CODELDI V. IlAllNfllNll-ELD. ERNST STADLER VON WOLFERSGRUN.

Witnesses:

ALVEsTo P. HoGUE, AUGUST FUGGER..

